Sparkling feathers
Canada Goose
Finely iridescent
Red-necked Grebe
Sleeping down at the pond
Chilean Flamingo
One of my favourite views
Spotted Sandpiper
Middle Lake, Bow Valley Provincial Park
Escape of the Black-crowned Night Heron
American Coot interactive display
Waterton Lakes National Park
Challenges of a photographer
Prince of Wales hotel, Waterton
White-crowned Sparrow / Zonotrichia leucophrys
Black-crowned Night-heron
Black-crowned Night-heron
01 Middle Lake, Bow Valley Provincial Park
Red-belted Polypore with guttation droplets
Strawberries and cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Mt Lorette Ponds, Kananaskis
Strawberries and Cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii
Mt. Buller, Buller Pond, Kananaskis
Conserving heat
Peninsular, Lower Kananaskis Lake
Lower Kananaskis Lake at Peninsular
The arrival of fall
Across the river
Chinook arch over Calgary
Autumn colours at the stormwater pond
Peninsular area, Lower Kananaskis Lake
When winter comes to the mountains
Peninsular area, Lower Kananaskis Lake
Leisurely swim
A day of swans and ducks and geese
Ring-billed Gull and Bonaparte's Gull
Trumpeter Swan
Gap Lake
Elbow Falls, Kananaskis
When storms blow in
Feather finery of a female Mallard
Wood Ducks on a local pond
Rare Long-tailed Duck
Raindrops
Black-necked Stilt
Muskrat ripples
Water Smartweed / Polygonum amphibium
A bright splash of colour
Like floral flames for a deep-freeze day
Posing nicely
The droplet
Remembering summer colours
Down by the river on a frosty morning
Eared Grebe
Humboldt Penguin / Spheniscus humboldti
Upper Kananaskis Lake
Strawberries and cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii
Arethusa Cirque trail, Kananaskis
Batteaux Bay, from Blue Waters Inn, Tobago
Crab on the pier at Blue Waters Inn, Tobago
Batteaux Bay at Blue Waters Inn, Tobago
Frank's Glass-bottomed boat, Blue Waters Inn, Tob…
Ruddy Duck
Water patterns in matching colours
American Wigeon pair
Trying to impress the females
Willet / Tringa semipalmata
American Wigeon male, resting on a log
American Avocet in rippled water
A handsome mate
A recent spring arrival
Camouflaged as a rock
Mountain Bluebird from three years ago
Black-necked Stilt
Cinnamon Teal pair
Song Sparrow / Melospiza melodia
Just look at those toenails
Munch, munch, munch ....
Clouds, reflected
The Heritage tree at Carburn Park
Fine feathers of a female Mallard
Goldeneye on golden 'pond'
Another view at William J Bagnall Wildlife Park
William J. Bagnall Wilderness Park
Into the sun at Frank Lake
Wooden bridge at Weaselhead
A touch of Fireweed
Looking across Frank Lake
Ice patterns
Bubbles at Frank Lake
The return of the Swans
Fence post with a difference
A sky filled with clouds
Glenmore Dam, Calgary, Alberta
Rent a canoe at Emerald Lake
One of my favourite birds to photograph
Emerald Lake, British Columbia, Canada
Common Loon
Emerald Lake
Rusty Blackbird
Winter chill
Heritage tree from 1907, at Carburn Park
Baby Coot
Being a good mother
Lesser Scaup
Ibis iridescence
November in Weaselhead
Rockyview General Hospital, reflected
Yesterday's walk along the Bow River
Mallard female
Long-billed Dowitchers / Limnodromus scolopaceus
Fall reflections at Carburn Park
Black-necked Stilt
Common Loon in emerald waters
Marsland Basin
Up close and personal
Feeding time excitement
Taking a closer look at the fish
Sparkles on Forgetmenot Pond
Deciduous yellow
Pretty lady
Colonel Walker House, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary
Along the Irrigation Canal
The last of the fall colour
See also...
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222 visits
Brown-headed Cowbirds
On 24 April 2016, I took and posted a photo of this same small, bare-branched tree/shrub with about 50 Tree Swallows perched on the branches. On 15 May 2016, I was back at the same spot and saw several of these Brown-headed Cowbirds perched there instead. Four of the birds (male and female) were doing what Cowbirds do - stand with their heads pointed upwards. I have added an old, previously-posted photo of a small Clay-coloured Sparrow feeding/raising a large baby Brown-headed Cowbird, in a comment box below. An article from 10 September 2015 states that research shows that female Cowbirds "return to take a look-see. This way the female cowbirds can assess which host nests were most successful, and avoid laying future eggs in those that failed." From NatureWorldNews.
www.natureworldnews.com/articles/16586/20150910/female-co...
"'Brood parasitic' means that it lays its eggs in the nests of other small passerines (perching birds), particularly those that build cup-like nests. The Brown-headed Cowbird eggs have been documented in nests of at least 220 host species, including hummingbirds and raptors. The young cowbird is fed by the host parents at the expense of their own young. Brown-headed Cowbird females can lay 36 eggs in a season. More than 140 different species of birds are known to have raised young cowbirds."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown-headed_Cowbird
Will add the report and final list of 63 species, compiled by our leader, Howard Heffler. As usual, I didn't see some of the species, as I don't use binoculars and most birds were very, very distant. Thanks so much for a great day, Howard, and thanks so much for the ride, Andrew! Both much appreciated.
"Fourteen participants showed up by 8:30 AM at Anderson LRT and we car pooled in four vehicles to Basin #1 at Frank Lake. From the entrance parking lot we had good views of two Short-eared Owls hunting over the marsh. They are such beautiful flyers. We drove to the outfall and walked to the blind and back. We then drove to Basin #2 where we lucked into a couple of distant White-winged Scoters. An Eastern Kingbird was a first-of-year for me. Next was Brant Lake where the highlight was Black-bellied Plovers. It was (relatively) warm and sunny all day with a bit of wind in the afternoon. Thanks to the regulars and to the newbies for coming out. And thanks to Andrew Hart for eBird listing.
Snow Goose 1
Canada Goose 195
Trumpeter Swan 1
Tundra Swan 4
Gadwall 144
American Wigeon 6
Mallard 300
Blue-winged Teal 4
Cinnamon Teal 3
Northern Shoveler 267
Canvasback 1
Redhead 24
Ring-necked Duck 2
Lesser Scaup 140
White-winged Scoter 2
Bufflehead 8
Ruddy Duck 290
Red-necked Grebe 4
Eared Grebe 230
Western Grebe 17
Double-crested Cormorant 25
American White Pelican 64
Great Blue Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 5
White-faced Ibis 13
Northern Harrier 2
Swainson's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Sora 2
American Coot 500
Black-necked Stilt 1
American Avocet 16
Black-bellied Plover 2
Killdeer 3
Spotted Sandpiper 4
Willet 10
Marbled Godwit 8
Wilson's Snipe 2
Wilson's Phalarope 1
Franklin's Gull 1022
California Gull 185
Black Tern 1
Common Tern 3
Forster's Tern 16
Rock Pigeon 2
Short-eared Owl 3
Merlin 1
Eastern Kingbird 1
Black-billed Magpie 4
Common Raven 1
Tree Swallow 20
Marsh Wren 1
European Starling 10
American Pipit 2
Clay-colored Sparrow 4
Vesper Sparrow 2
Savannah Sparrow 16
Red-winged Blackbird 72
Western Meadowlark 4
Yellow-headed Blackbird 280
Brewer's Blackbird 8
Brown-headed Cowbird 9
House Sparrow 1
Howard Heffler"
www.natureworldnews.com/articles/16586/20150910/female-co...
"'Brood parasitic' means that it lays its eggs in the nests of other small passerines (perching birds), particularly those that build cup-like nests. The Brown-headed Cowbird eggs have been documented in nests of at least 220 host species, including hummingbirds and raptors. The young cowbird is fed by the host parents at the expense of their own young. Brown-headed Cowbird females can lay 36 eggs in a season. More than 140 different species of birds are known to have raised young cowbirds."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown-headed_Cowbird
Will add the report and final list of 63 species, compiled by our leader, Howard Heffler. As usual, I didn't see some of the species, as I don't use binoculars and most birds were very, very distant. Thanks so much for a great day, Howard, and thanks so much for the ride, Andrew! Both much appreciated.
"Fourteen participants showed up by 8:30 AM at Anderson LRT and we car pooled in four vehicles to Basin #1 at Frank Lake. From the entrance parking lot we had good views of two Short-eared Owls hunting over the marsh. They are such beautiful flyers. We drove to the outfall and walked to the blind and back. We then drove to Basin #2 where we lucked into a couple of distant White-winged Scoters. An Eastern Kingbird was a first-of-year for me. Next was Brant Lake where the highlight was Black-bellied Plovers. It was (relatively) warm and sunny all day with a bit of wind in the afternoon. Thanks to the regulars and to the newbies for coming out. And thanks to Andrew Hart for eBird listing.
Snow Goose 1
Canada Goose 195
Trumpeter Swan 1
Tundra Swan 4
Gadwall 144
American Wigeon 6
Mallard 300
Blue-winged Teal 4
Cinnamon Teal 3
Northern Shoveler 267
Canvasback 1
Redhead 24
Ring-necked Duck 2
Lesser Scaup 140
White-winged Scoter 2
Bufflehead 8
Ruddy Duck 290
Red-necked Grebe 4
Eared Grebe 230
Western Grebe 17
Double-crested Cormorant 25
American White Pelican 64
Great Blue Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 5
White-faced Ibis 13
Northern Harrier 2
Swainson's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Sora 2
American Coot 500
Black-necked Stilt 1
American Avocet 16
Black-bellied Plover 2
Killdeer 3
Spotted Sandpiper 4
Willet 10
Marbled Godwit 8
Wilson's Snipe 2
Wilson's Phalarope 1
Franklin's Gull 1022
California Gull 185
Black Tern 1
Common Tern 3
Forster's Tern 16
Rock Pigeon 2
Short-eared Owl 3
Merlin 1
Eastern Kingbird 1
Black-billed Magpie 4
Common Raven 1
Tree Swallow 20
Marsh Wren 1
European Starling 10
American Pipit 2
Clay-colored Sparrow 4
Vesper Sparrow 2
Savannah Sparrow 16
Red-winged Blackbird 72
Western Meadowlark 4
Yellow-headed Blackbird 280
Brewer's Blackbird 8
Brown-headed Cowbird 9
House Sparrow 1
Howard Heffler"
Daniel Palacin has particularly liked this photo
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